THENIMBLETHIEF said:
I know this lad well. He had been interested in SE Asian studies for a long time. He originally wanted to go to university in Japan or S Korea. However, he joined this forum for students interested in asian studies/language and met his girlfriend on there. She convinced him to try a top Chinese university instead and to come to her town. Their relationship kicked off from there. There was no chasing on either part. And as for being a ginger.......it is much loved over there. His hair is very curly and his girlfriend won't let him cut it. He is six foot tall, and that is against the norm too. He speaks fluent mandarin and that also is unusual. Most visitors speak only basic mandarin. He has received special awards at his graduation for being an exceptional student and for presenting an exceptionally good dissertation, being outscored by only one other student in the university; and she was eastern asian herself. This lad set out to achieve a knowledge of Chinese culture and language and give himself a promising career. He has translated hotel guides and commemorative books for leading 5* hotels from mandarin to english. The girl is beautiful and he is a very lucky lad.....but chase or stalk her, he didn't.
Hello Mr Webb, nice to have you on the boards.
1.
She convinced him to try a top Chinese university instead and to come to her town.
Xiamen is not a 'top' Chinese University. Not even close. It's outside the top 20 on most subjects. (I hope to study my masters in Qinghua or Sichuan University, which is why i know).
So, going by what you/joshua webb told the newspaper, you started looking for (Chinese) universities when you were 14?
See point #4. You needed an HSK level 5 (fluency at chinese) to study at a Chinese University. Are you saying this guy studied Chinese for 5 years, and totally changed his plans to stay in the same town as an internet stranger, just because of a suggestion of a forum member, when you were 14? (who researches universities when they're 14?). The alternative which you suggested sounds even more ridiculous.
2.
And as for being a ginger.......it is much loved over there.
'loved' certainly. But not in the way you think. They make fun of it and point to it on the streets. I was in Kunming with an Irish girl traveller, and the poor girl was stared at the whole time we went out. Don't see what this has to do with anything, but just wanted to correct your delusion.
3.
He is six foot tall, and that is against the norm too.
20 years ago maybe, but not now. Fuzhou began industrialising much earlier than most of China and hence the majority of late 80's/90's-born children lived with relatively plentiful food and good housing. I am 6ft 2, and at least 70% of all young men there were between 5ft10 and 6ft1. (I've been to Fuzhou myself)
4.
He speaks fluent mandarin and that also is unusual. Most visitors speak only basic mandarin.
Lol. No they don't. The minimum HSK level of entrance to a Chinese university is HSK level 5 (3-4 years of studying Chinese). And most Chinese universities have quite sizeable populations of late-20's white Europeans and Australians who are remarkably fluent.
As you seem to know this guy and his 'relationship' rather too well, while also making irrelevant comments about his looks (what's that got to do with it?), my guess is that you are indeed Joshua Webb. You recently googled your name and university out of curiosity/paranoia of what the world knows about you and found this thread.
There's no way someone who just 'happened to know him', also 'just happened' to be surfing page 3 of 'Off Topic' and found this random thread from November. No way. You were searching for it, and that is because you are Joshua Webb.
I see this is your only post. May i refer you to the
Niubi Assignment and begin approaching girls? Or will your girlfriend disapprove?
I'm not trying to attack you, but your post was ridiculous.
If you really speak Chinese (and you do), then you'll know what i mean when i say your post is
biaoti dang, and you are
250.
